National Service Express Tour ‘08

BREAKING… BREAKING… BREAKING…

This Friday, May 16th, U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) will introduce the AmeriCorps Act of 2008.

The AmeriCorps Act of 2008 will:

• Raise the education Eli Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $6,185 and raise the award each subsequent year to represent the average cost of tuition and required fees at a 4-year public university;
• Make the education award tax exempt;
• Restore the Corporation’s previous authority to partner with other Federal agencies to use national service as a strategy to carry out Departments’ priorities; and,
• Promote the Corporation for National and Community Service to Cabinet level status.

Since inception in 1994, AmeriCorps has encouraged over 540,000 citizens to volunteer, serve, and address the unmet needs of our nation. These citizens have given over 700,000,000 hours toward improving the lives of other Americans.

Your phone call to Washington is critical to ensuring this legislation passes, so please call your Senators today to urge them to become original co sponsors.  The deadline is tomorrow, Thursday at 4:00pm EST.

It will only take 2 minutes to call.  Here is what you need to do:

1. Call the Capitol Operator at (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your Senators.
2. Ask your Senators to be original co-sponsors of the AmeriCorps Act of 2008.
3. To co-sponsor, interested offices should contact Mary Ellen McGuire with Senator Dodd’s office by email: MaryEllen_McGuire@help.senate.gov. Deadline for co-sponsors is tomorrow, Thursday at 4:00pm.
4. Build power in numbers – ask two other people in your state to call your Senators, as well.  Three voices are louder than just one!

Thanks for taking action and helping to grow AmeriCorps!

Please forward THIS LINK to a friend and check back for details on how you can help to further support the AmeriCorps Act of 2008 and make National Service a national priority!